A Mentors Protection
by CassidysPersona
Summary: Lucius Malfoy and Regulus Black flee a muggle raid when aurors turn up, Regulus isn't happy and demands to know why his mentor didnt let him stay and fight. Lucius then finds himself having to deal with a arrogant sixteen year old and explain his reasons.


**A/N: This has played in my head for a few days. I've had a feeling that Regulus would be Lucius's mentee, I can also see Lucius caring about his mentee and enjoying his company but also I can see Regulus having a slight arrogance about him that could Lucius so far. This is just a short one shot feel free to review :) also this is set in 1977 when Regulus is sixteen years old and new to the "job"  
**

Regulus Black trailed behind Lucius Malfoy. Following his mentor as they exited a building where Bellatrix and Rodolphus finished off a muggle-raid. Regulus couldn't understand why Lucius had pulled him out and he was going to find out even if it cost him.

"Malfoy why did you pull me out?" Regulus asked his voice loud, he was annoyed of course he was going to be loud. Lucius however, was calm and composed. The older of the two turned his head and signalled with a finger against his lips for Regulus to be quiet. The young Death Eater sighed heavily, he was frustrated he was following Lucius but what for? Finally Lucius stopped and leant against a wall, giving Regulus time to catch up with him, "why did-"

"I said shh!" Lucius snarled. The cost wasn't clear he could still hear aurors and he wasn't about to get to caught because his cousin-through-marriage couldn't help but show his naivety, "take hold of my wrist and hold tight," Lucius ordered. Regulus was a little hesitant at first, but with no choice he grabbed hold of Lucius. A very faint pop sounded leaving behind only a piece of paper to rise from the ground and fall back down slowly.

The pair ended up outside Malfoy Manor the big black gates closed, the white peacocks strutting side by side to each other. Regulus always was puzzled by Lucius's love for peacocks but he never dared to question it, "Malfoy what was that about?" Regulus asked angrily his grey eyes meeting Lucius's steel grey eyes, "why did you pull me out?"

"Just give me a second," Lucius dug in his pocket for his wand and non-verbally opened the gate. Regulus watched as the two black gates opened and stopped once Lucius entered, "get in quick," he hoarse whispered. They had to be out of uniform and back into their normal attire within minutes because there was always the fear of aurors recognising one of them, and with Black being one auror that no Death Eater apart from Bellatrix liked going up against. Lucius silently feared that Sirius would've guessed it was them. He used his wand to close the gates and then turned to Regulus, "get inside, get dressed and hide your uniform. Then I will explain."

Regulus joined Lucius in the drawing room dressed in a suit with a white shirt Regulus felt almost a clone to his father. Only his eyes were grey whilst Orion Black's had been a soft brown colour, Lucius was slowly sipping at a Firewhisky reading The Daily Prophet the younger of the two couldn't help but shake his head. Why was Lucius reading the newspaper?

"Are you going to explain then?" Regulus asked. He found a seat on the sofa and sat with his right leg bent over his left thigh, "why di you pulled me out? Why did you make us leave Rodolphus and Bella? What happened?"

Lucius rubbed his forehead his nails digging into the creases of his forehead. Regulus frowned, he was confused and most importantly annoyed, "Aurors," Lucius finally spoke and he took a large sip of Firewhisky shaking his head in a show of detest as he did so. The amber liquid burnt the back of his throat he placed the glass on the table and then held his fingers up. Getting ready to tick each reason off, "reason number one: one of them spotted you, two they were outside," Lucius ticked off two fingers leaving three others, "three I think it was Black. I grabbed you and ran. Bellatrix and Rodolphus aren't stupid they would've gotten out of there but reason number four is there's noway you would've fought your brother and five I wouldn't let you," Lucius then grasped his hand around the glass of Firewhisky again and then took another sip, "if you're not aware he can catch you from behind. That's why I took you and ran, now the reason why I asked you to get changed so quickly is because if Aurors come looking for you we can say you've been here all day with Narcissa and I. If we look like we've been talking they can't do anything."

"I can handle Sirius I did live with him," Regulus mumbled but Lucius shook his head laughing to his himself, "why wouldn't have I been able to handle him?"

Lucius took out his wand and non-verbally casted Expelliarmus, Regulus's wand went flying out his hand and the dark haired wizard looked at him confused, "you weren't prepared were you?" Lucius asked cooly his eyebrow raised, "Now imagine that in there if they caught you."

"I…" Regulus bent down to pick his wand up and then looked at Lucius waiting for him to say something, but Lucius said nothing, "I…"

"Exactly," Lucius finished off the conversation and had a feeling Regulus would argue back with him. He was after all a Black and if Bellatrix was anything to go by and his wife Narcissa it was in their blood to always have the last word. However, to Lucius's surprise Regulus stayed quiet maybe a little humbled, "that is why I took you and ran, plus Narcissa would never forgive me if I got her baby cousin locked up in Azkaban. Narcissa cares a lot about you, you do realise I spent the night when you were given The Dark Mark trying to stop her crying, she has been fearing for your life since you were made a Death Eater."

"I can do whatever task is given to me, I don't need protecting," he's found his voice Lucius thought, "you do realise The Dark Lord let me join, at sixteen may I add," Lucius rolled his grey eyes, arrogant sod he thought internally. Regulus occasionally had the same arrogant attitude as his older brother. Sirius despite not sharing the Black family values still carried the same arrogance the family upheld it was the same with Andromeda, she despite disagreeing with her family was arrogant in her own right, "how old were you Lucius? I believe you were still unmarked at sixteen-"

"Oh be quiet you arrogant little boy," Lucius snapped. Rising up from his seat, he strolled over to his mentee his eyes swimming with anger, "you still have lots to learn, your parents may have made you feel like a prince for joining; your cousin might be my wife and your other cousin might be in her eyes 'the most loyal' to The Dark Lord but when you run with us…you're not as high up as you think you are. You need at least a year before you can be considered a trusted follower, you've joined me on a muggle-raid but you haven't gone alone yet," Lucius hadn't noticed how close he was to Regulus's face, it was only when he saw the youngsters pupils widen he knew he was too close. Lucius turned on his heel and made his way back to his seat but Regulus was not finished.

"Or maybe your scared, you know my family are very skilled…maybe you're afraid that I, sixteen year old Regulus Black might be just that more powerful than you," Regulus didn't have time to speak again as Lucius darted towards the younger wizard and held his wand to his neck.

"You're beginning to sound like your older brother Regulus. Arrogant, conceited and naïve," Lucius really did care about Regulus, he had known him since he was a child and he had seen the young boy turn into a decent wizard. The thought of Regulus being captured or killed made his stomach turn not only that he could only imagine Narcissa's heartache. Then he thought about he would feel, he too would lose someone whose company he enjoyed. Regulus had more maturity at times than the older Death Eaters all together. His intelligence was his greatest strength and his greatest downfall, "you still have lots to learn Regulus. There's a reason I'm your mentor and if it wasn't for me insisting I take you on then your mentor would've been Rodolphus. Do you want to die Regulus?"

"No," he squeaked out his voice struggled by the pressure of the wand pressing on his adam's apple. Lucius pulled his wand away quickly and Regulus fell to the ground, his eyes looking up at Lucius with fear. He had never seen Lucius like this before, Lucius was normally so composed that to see him lose his cool was quite a shock to his system, Regulus's hand reached his neck and he rubbed where Lucius's wand had been pressed so hard that a red mark was forming, "you could've killed me," Regulus breathing heavily pushed himself up, "why are you being so cold?!"

"I wouldn't kill you Regulus I care too much about you," Lucius admitted. Regulus found himself about to argue but then his anger washed away like the waves on the beach, Lucius saw the look on Regulus's face and taking advantage of Regulus's silence he carried on, "I care about you, you're a smart man. You have a future ahead of you Regulus…do I think you're powerful? Oh yes I do, your family has a decent track record of duellers and with that comes the ability of performing non-verbal spells at ease along with an annoying stubbornness that has been passed on through generations. None of them started off like that though; Bellatrix needed to learn, Narcissa did too and so do you…I don't doubt your magical abilities it is your naivety that worries me. You are still young and I won't stand by and watch you be killed."

"You care about me?" Regulus still rubbing his neck where Lucius had jabbed him harshly asked in a rather surprised tone. Regulus was lead to believe that Lucius only cared about one person and that was Narcissa. This is where Lucius could see that Regulus, was still just a boy. His grey eyes had the look of a child who had just been praised.

"Yes Regulus I do," Lucius replied. He shook his head, his long hair swaying side to side, "I do have a heart you know. I just save it for people I feel are important."

"Rumour has it you only save it for my cousin," Regulus replied cheekily even making his mentor laugh lightly, "my father isn't that keen on me being a Death Eater, it's mother whose the proudest. Father says it was a mistake, he's always had little faith in me."

"It's not little faith Regulus," Lucius spoke as he walked towards the window and looked up at the sky, "he's showing concern like a father should. I would only give to know how that feels," Lucius then turned back to face the young Death Eater his arms folded, "I also know how forceful your mother can be. I am on your side of the family through marriage, your father however, I've had respect for him for quite a while. He's intellectual and useful…like you," Lucius added, "Now if you excuse me. I must find my wife and tell her we're both safe."

Regulus watched as the blonde wizard left the drawing room, leaving him to walk towards the window and look outside. The peacocks were still strutting, the garden was full of flowers, trimmed hedges and yet somehow Lucius still managed to keep up his bad-boy act despite his wife clearly dominating the décor of the place. Regulus did wonder if one day he would make a woman as happy as Lucius made his cousin. Regulus had found himself looking up to Lucius since he was young and when he found out that Malfoy was going to be his mentor a sense of relief washed over him however, now that he knew Lucius actually cared about him it was more of a desire to please his mentor.


End file.
